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Glenn Shadix
| birth_place = Bessemer, Alabama, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | death_cause = Blunt trauma following a fall | occupation = Actor, voice actor | years_active = 1981–2010 }} William Glenn Scott (né Shadix, April 15, 1952 – September 7, 2010), known professionally as Glenn Shadix, was an American actor and voice actor known for his role as Otho in Tim Burton's horror comedy film Beetlejuice and as the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Early life Shadix was born in Bessemer, Alabama. His surname was legally changed to "Scott" when his mother, Annie Ruth (née Livingston), remarried a few years after his birth, although he would use his original surname when working as an actor. He attended Birmingham–Southern College for two years, studying with absurdist playwright-director Arnold Powell.Wilson, Claire M. (July 7, 2010) "Glenn Shadix". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved September 7, 2010. Career He lived in Manhattan, New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in 1977. He got his breakthrough film role in Beetlejuice as interior decorator Otho, while appearing in The Groundlings comedy troupe and performing in the stage play Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, portraying Gertrude Stein. Beetlejuice filmmaker Tim Burton went on to cast Shadix in 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. Throughout the 1990s he had small roles on iconic television shows, including Cheers, Roseanne, and Seinfeld.https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787187/ In 1995, Shadix was cast as Ray Cathode in the Space Mountain queue advertisements when the ride was sponsored by FedEx. In 2005, Shadix was cast as the voices of the Brain and Monsieur Mallah in season five of the Teen Titans animated series. His other voice work includes the aforementioned Nightmare, and episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures and Justice League Unlimited (where he played Tobias Whale and Steven Mandragora). He reprised his Nightmare Before Christmas role in the video game The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, and the Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II. His television work included the HBO drama Carnivàle, the NBC television comedy Seinfeld, in which he played Jerry's landlord, and playing the roles of giant brothers Typhoon and Typhon in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. On stage, Shadix was set to begin rehearsals for a Birmingham production of Alan Bennett's History Boys. He also recorded a promo for Red Bar Radio. Personal life Shadix was openly gay throughout his life. According to an interview with the Truth Wins Out website, he came out to his parents at the age of 17. They then enrolled him in "ex-gay therapy", which included "shock" treatments. When this failed to change his orientation, he attempted suicide by overdosing with Elavil. His parents rushed him to a hospital, where he survived a three-day coma. After the incident, his parents began to accept his sexuality.[http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/glenn_shadix_beetlejuice_ex-gay_therapy.html Late Bessemer-born Beetlejuice actor Glenn Shadix said he had 'ex-gay' shock therapy]. blog.al.com. September 8, 2010. In 2007, after spending 30 years in Los Angeles, he retired to his native Bessemer, Alabama, where he purchased a Queen Anne-style, Victorian-era home. The house was completely destroyed in a fire on December 13, 2008. Shadix told reporters, "I have lost my dream.""Beetlejuice Actor's House Burns", TMZ.com, December 23, 2008 Death On September 7, 2010, according to Shadix's sister, Susan Gagne, he fell in the kitchen at his condominium in Birmingham, Alabama, and died of blunt trauma to his head. Shadix had mobility problems and was in a wheelchair. Filmography Television *''The Golden Girls'' (1987) 1 episode; "Diamond in the Rough" *''Roseanne'' (1990) 1 episode; "Chicken Hearts" *''Seinfeld'' (1991) 1 episode; "The Apartment" *''Night Court'' (1992) 1 episode; "The 1992 Boat Show" *''Cheers'' (1992) 1 episode; "The Beer Is Always Greener" *''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' (1993) 1 episode; "Hex and the Single Guy" *''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' (1995) Season 2: Episode 23 "Cast a Giant Shadow" *''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' (1996) Season 3: Episode 43 "Monster Child in the Promised Land" *''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' (1997) Season 4: Episode 60 "Beanstalks and Bad Eggs" *''Thanks'' (1999) 6 episodes as Dr. Addington *''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' (1999) 1 episode; "Salem, the Boy" *''Carnivàle'' (2003) as Val Templeton Animation Film Television Videogames References External links * * Category:1952 births Category:2010 deaths Category:Male actors from Alabama Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Birmingham–Southern College alumni Category:Gay actors Category:People from Bessemer, Alabama Category:LGBT entertainers from the United States Category:LGBT people from Alabama Category:Accidental deaths from falls Category:Accidental deaths in Alabama